Pittsburgh Pirates hand 19-year-old Griffin a record $140m contract
Konnor Griffin struck gold today with the confirmation of a new nine-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year contract extension worth $140million.
Griffin, widely regarded as the best prospect in baseball, only made his Major League debut last week but has been earmarked as the face of the franchise for the next decade.
“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans. It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization,” said Pirates chair Bob Nutting.
“Konnor represents everything we value in a player – exceptional talent, strong character, a team-first mentality and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning. He is the right person, from the right family. This is another important step in the work we have been doing to build a winning team, for this year and going forward.”
Pirates thrilled to snare Griffin
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington added: “Since joining the organization, Konnor has consistently demonstrated the traits we want in a Pirate: a daily commitment to improvement, a team-first mindset and a strong desire to win.
“He has met every challenge in front of him, and we are excited to watch him continue that growth alongside his teammates in Pittsburgh. We are thrilled he will be a Pirate for a long time.”
It is a record deal for Pittsburgh, surpassing the $106.75m eight-year contract handed out to Bryan Reynolds in 2023.
The 19-year-old hails from Jackson, Mississippi but will now call Pittsburgh home for the foreseeable future.
“It feels great knowing I will be a Pittsburgh Pirate for a long time,” Griffin said. “The goal is to win every year. And I believe we can do that.
“It will be nice to have everything behind me and now I can just go play baseball.”
Griffin tears up the minor leagues
In 2025, Griffin demonstrated his big-league potential, debuting with Single-A Bradenton and finishing with Double-A Altoona, slashing .333/.415/.527 in 122 games, with 23 doubles, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 steals.
Since moving to the Pirates, he has hit .176/.300/.235 with three RBIs and two runs.
As talented as he is, Griffin will do well to make the Pirates a contender in the short-term. They have not made the post-season since 2015, the longest drought in the National League.
